Date February 17, 2026

Art at Watson exhibition, ‘Odisha Illuminated’ brings traditional Indian textile techniques to Brown’s Watson School

By Pete Bilderback

Art at Watson’s exhibition, “Odisha Illuminated: A Celebration of Ritual in a Modern World,” features bold, colorful textiles from the Odisha region of India. It will run through the spring 2026 semester in Stephen Robert '62 Hall.

Odisha Illuminated exhibition — Photo Credit: Daniel Farber Huang

Walking into Stephen Robert '62 Hall at 280 Brook Street, the first thing one notices about “Odisha Illuminated: A Celebration of Ritual in a Modern World,” the latest exhibition from Art at Watson, is the color. Brilliant hues of red, yellow, blue, green and purple emanate from the textile appliqués that currently adorn the building’s white walls.

The space has served as a canvas for many of Art at Watson’s thought-provoking exhibitions in the past, but never more radiantly than in this exhibition of striking handwoven panels made in Odisha, a coastal region in eastern India along the Bay of Bengal, where textile traditions remain deeply embedded in modern life. The exhibition, curated by Odisha native Rakhi Jain, opens on February 23 and will run through the spring semester.

Jain, currently a senior at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, said that in bringing the work of these mostly female artists to the Watson School, she hopes to demonstrate that the traditional arts from her home country are not “relics.”

Jain noted that the traditional techniques used to create these textiles have been passed down from mothers to daughters over centuries. “These works are vivid, ongoing expressions of identity, place and memory,” she said. “This exhibition demonstrates the deep visual heritage of Odisha, and each object reflects generations of accumulated skill and intention.”

The intricate, handmade nature of these works is also a salve for those seeking refuge from the current ubiquity of AI-generated imagery.

At a time when some argue that AI will eliminate the need for human creativity and artistry, “Odisha Illuminated” insists on the primacy of the human hand. In place of machine learning models that analyze millions of images to quickly generate new ones, the exhibition foregrounds the specificity of place and traditional knowledge passed down through direct human contact.

“In an increasingly digital world,” said Jain, “this kind of art becomes profoundly vital. We are surrounded by fast images and constant stimulation; these pieces remind us of the value of slowness, attention and the handmade. They ask us to notice detail, repetition, authenticity and beauty that comes from labor rooted in tradition.”

Jo-Anne Hart, Art at Watson’s committee co-chair and exhibition co-coordinator, said the committee “has long been interested in exhibiting textiles,” and “was immediately attracted to the bold colors and the visual storytelling in these exquisite appliqué panels.”

Exhibition co-coordinator Daniel Farber Huang praised the show’s ability to transport the viewer beyond their daily experiences. “This exhibition reveals the world as expansive and richly layered, shaped by traditions, labor and lived experience that reach far beyond our immediate horizons,” he said. “It calls us to slow our gaze, step outside the tempo of everyday life, and reengage with the depth and possibility that persist across cultures and generations.

In an increasingly digital world, this kind of art becomes profoundly vital. We are surrounded by fast images and constant stimulation; these pieces remind us of the value of slowness, attention and the handmade. They ask us to notice detail, repetition, authenticity and beauty that comes from labor rooted in tradition.

Rakhi Jain Exhibition Curator

Jain noted that, in presenting this work, one of her goals is to highlight the creativity of the Adivasi, a heterogeneous collection of tribal groups on the Indian subcontinent that constitute about 8.6% of the population and are considered its original inhabitants.

“I want to highlight work from the indigenous parts of the country,” said Jain, “because it has historically been marginalized and received far less attention than it deserves. ”

Producing these works — called Chandua appliqués because the techniques used to create them originated in the town of Pipili, Chandua — takes time and effort. The artists meticulously cut colorful pieces of cloth into shapes like flowers, animals and divine eyes, then stitch them onto contrasting backgrounds by hand.

According to Jain, these bold, geometric images are also deeply symbolic, with the iconography carrying specific meanings. “Elephants represent pride and power, spirals signify time, and the 'Chakra' wheel symbolizes protection and spiritual journey,” she said.

Many of the textiles tell stories drawn from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, two of India's foundational Sanskrit epics, which contain moral lessons and serve as cornerstones of Hindu philosophy. “In some of the pieces you will see a black face,” said Jain, “that’s Lord Jagannath, who is the main god worshiped in that coastal area.”

Providing this context for the viewer is important, Jain said, because “sadly, most people who end up having these pieces in their home don’t know the meaning behind them.” While it is true that the appliqués are striking from a purely aesthetic point of view, Jain doesn’t want the viewer to lose sight of the context in which they were created, or the meanings they carry.

While the women are proud of the textiles they create, Jain noted that “over time, they have become less inclined to continue doing it because it’s a very physically demanding process.”

“The reason women do this work in the first place,” said Jain, “is to gain independence.” She recalled a conversation she had with one of the artists, “She told me, ‘I never want to stand before my husband holding out my hands for money again. That’s why I do this.’” But Jain observed that, increasingly, the payment women receive for the fruits of their labor is not worth the considerable effort they put in.

Financial independence is only one reason women choose this form of work. “It’s also about community,” said Jain. “You might have 12 women working together, and they support each other. If one of them is subjected to physical violence in the home, they can stand up to the husband as a group,” she said.

“The main reason I’m doing this,” said Jain, “is to increase these women’s visibility, and to put their voices forward in an organic manner. I want to showcase how these pieces represent their identities.”

Jain said she hopes the exhibition will spark conversations about the role of tradition in the modern world, the value of creativity and taking the time to create something slowly. “I want people to reflect on the dynamics of power as well,” she said, “Whose voice gets heard and whose doesn’t, and why does that happen?”

On Monday, February 23, at 4:30 p.m., Art at Watson will present a panel discussion featuring Jain, the RISD Museum’s Department Head and Curator of Costume and Textiles, Kate Irvin, and Ubuntu at Work Founder and Watson Adjunct Lecturer, Vibha Pingle. A reception will follow. All are welcome to attend with advanced registration.